(Hong Kong News, June 19, 2004) The Sino Land and Wharf-led consortium comprising Sino Land
Company Limited, Wharf Estates Limited, Chinese Estates Holdings Limited and K. Wah International
Holdings Limited strongly believes that the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) needs to make a bold statement and firmly place itself on the art and cultural world map. Cutting-edge design for the museums, theatres, performance and art spaces, alone will not be enough.
Therefore, in the consortium’s vision to make this the most unique art and cultural project in the world, their master plan is that of a large landscaped green park that spans the entire 40-hectare waterfront site, encompassing and enveloping museums, theatres, performance and art spaces in the complex.
25 hectares of the site will in effect be Hong Kong’s own Hyde Park and Central Park.
The unifying element for the art and culture, residences and commercial space will be this massive, lush green park.
The consortium’s vision for the WKCD is not just iconic architecture by the top designers of the world, but a civic monument that celebrates nature, the city and the creativity of man.
This will be the first time that the combination of greenery and buildings will be on such an impressive scale. Visitors will travel through the cultural district; walk from a museum to a theatre, completely surrounded by nature. This hill park will be on multiple levels and elevations, bringing synergy between man-made structures and the forces of nature. The master plan has interwoven and merged architecture and interior spaces with courtyards, slopes, lawns, woodland, and roof gardens on top of all buildings. A bird’s eye view of the development will show an undulating green plateau rising out of the waterfront. The WKCD will in effect become the green lung of the city.
The consortium will also have the opportunity of optimally linking Star Ferry, Ocean Terminal, Harbour
City, China Hong Kong City, China Hong Kong Ferry Terminal and Kowloon Park into WKCD to create an attractive cultural, business and entertainment district in Western Kowloon with a fully integrated transport infrastructure.
They have retained the best design and consultant team possible for the Art and Cultural Complex –
AEDAS 1 , Lord Richard Rogers 2 , Herzog & de Meuron 3 , Jean Nouvel 4 , Artec 5 , Museum Management
Consultants 6 , Gallagher & Associates 6 , EDAW 7 , Architecture Lumiere 8 , Anthony Hunt & Associates 9 ,
Hyder Consulting 10 , and IMG Artists 11 .
After careful research and consultation with the major arts groups in Hong Kong, the consortium has proposed additional components to the government’s requirements that would further benefit the WKCD project: a 1750-seat state-of-the-art concert hall and a world-class recital hall that will help catapult Hong
Kong onto the global classical music stage, a comprehensive Arts and Cultural Education and Resource
Centre, and 2 additional performance-enabled piazzas, bringing the number of open piazzas to 6.
The consortium believes that this extraordinary proposal for the WKCD created for the community of
Hong Kong will redefine the way the people of Hong Kong and its visitors live and experience.
Sino Group, one of the largest real estate developers in Hong Kong, has an extensive and well-proven track record in mega project construction and management such as the Olympian City 1 & 2, Island Resort and Hong Kong Gold Coast. Sino’s sister company, the Far East Organisation is one of the largest private

developers in Singapore. Park Avenue in Hong Kong and the Fullerton Square in Singapore were both awarded by the prestigious
FIABCI 12 . The combined strengths of Sino and Far East make it one of Asia’s largest real estate groups, providing the necessary muscle to make WKCD a success.
Wharf has extensive and well-proven experience in investing in and managing core businesses which include: office and retail (under the core brands of Harbour City & Times Square); communications, media & entertainment (under the core brands of i-CABLE & Wharf T&T); transport and logistics (under the core brand of Modern Terminals). The Group envisages that its integrated business expertise and sound financial capability would add value and contribute to the success of the WKCD.
1.
AEDAS , the eighth largest architectural company in the world and a powerhouse of design activity has created this Master Plan. The Richard Rogers Partnership is Aedas’ joint venture partner for the
Masterplanning and Architecture. (website: www.aedas.com)
2.
Lord Richard Rogers is advisor to the British Government on Architecture and the Built
Environment and RRP is famous for its iconic buildings such as the Centre Pompidou and Lloyds of
London. (website: www.richardrogers.co.uk)
3.
Herzog de Meuron who designed the Tate Modern Gallery and is currently engaged on the Beijing
Olympic Stadium will design the Performance Venue and the Museum of Modern Art.
4.
Jean Nouvel of Lyon Opera and Lucerne Cultural Centre will design the theatres. (website: www.jeannouvel.fr)
5.
Artec is the world’s leading Theatre Planner and Acoustician and is responsible for Singapore’s
Esplanade Theatres as well as Cultural and Congress Centre, Lucerne, Switzerland. (website: www.artec-usa.com )
6.
MMC and Gallagher & Associates form the world’s greatest Museum design, management and exhibition consultancy. (website: www.museum-management.com)
7.
EDAW is renowned internationally for their large scale urban design and landscape work and is supported by City Planning on this project. (website: www.edaw.com
)
8.
Alain Guilhot, the creative force and founder of Architecture Lumiere, is internationally renowned for the architectural lighting of prestigious projects around the world including The Petronas Towers of Kuala Lumpur, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower of Shanghai and the Musée de L'Hermitage of St.
Petersburg. (www.architecture-lumiere.com)
9.
Anthony Hunt is the structural designer for the Canopy and designer the massive ETFE dome of the
Eden Project. This is the only existing roof of a similar nature as the proposed Canopy. (website: www.anthonyhuntassociates.co.uk)
10.
Hyder is one of the world’s largest structural and services consultants and the building physics aspect of this complex project is covered by the eminent figure of Max Fordham. (website: www.hyder-consulting.com)

11.
IMG Artists is the performing arts consultant-a leading force in international performing arts management and is recognised as one of the world's foremost companies specialising in classical music management, as well as touring and special events. (website: www.imgartists.com
)
12.
The
FIABCI Prix d’Excellence
is an annual competition where properties from around the world vie for top honours in various categories. It is considered the Oscar equivalent for the real estate industry. Entries are judged by an international panel of experts on criteria such as business concept, architecture and construction, brokerage, management, environmental impact and contributions to the community. (website:
)